Spectacle protector



Aug. 16, 1955 T. .s. SOWLE 2,715,222

SPECTACLE PROTECTOR Filed May 21, 1951 lmnentor 1 F jzeo JSow/eattorneys United States Patent SPECTACLE PROTECTOR Theo J. Sowle, GrandRapids, Mich.

Application May 21, 1951, Serial No. 227,480

1 Claim.

This invention relates to spectacle protectors and, in

particular, to such protectors as are used by athletes in sports, gamesand the like.

One object of this invention is to provide a spectacle protector whichis quickly and easily adaptable to different sizes of heads of wearers,without requiring different sizes :t

of protectors.

Another object is to provide a spectacle protector wherein a semi-rigidframe or cage composed of vertical and horizontal guard bars forming acage-like structure is attached to a head gear and has attached to it achin strap which increases the rigidity of the protector and prevents itfrom being knocked aside by blows or brushes with opponents duringgames, such as basketball, with consequent damage to the spectacles.

Another object is to provide a spectacle protector of $1.

the foregoing character wherein the frame or cage has retaining barsadjacent the ears of the wearer which will press firmly against thetemples or bows of the spectacles and hold them firmly in their correctposition.

Another object is to provide a spectacle protector of the foregoingcharacter wherein the frame or cage is attached by clips to a simplehead gear which is lighter and less expensive to produce and which isalso cooler during wear.

Another object is to provide a spectacle protector of the foregoingcharacter wherein the head gear has a simple and rapid adjustment forfitting the head gear to different sizes of heads located at the back ofthe head where the head straps converge toward one another.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be- 3:

come apparent during the course of the following description of theaccompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure l is a side elevation of a spectacle protector according to oneform of the invention, as fitted to a wearers head, shown in dottedlines;

Figure 2 is a front elevation of the spectacle protector shown in Figure1, with the location of the spectacle lenses shown in dotted lines;

Figure 3 is a front perspective view of the frame or cage of theprotector, with the head gear and chin straps re moved;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary bottom plan view of the portion of the chinstrap beneath the chin; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary side elevation of the chin strapbuckle and protecting pad.

Referring to the drawings in detail, Figures 1 to 3 inclusive show aspectacle protector, generally designated 10, as consisting generally ofa head gear 11 to which a protector frame or cage 12 is attached, thecage in turn having a chin strap, generally designated 13 attachedthereto. The head gear 11 consists of a top strap 14 which goes over thetop of the head H and a side strap 15 which goes entirely around thesides of the head and which is secured to the forward end of the topstrap 14, as by stitching 16. The rearward end or ends of each of thestraps 14 and 15 is provided with a loop member 17, 18 or 19 (Figure 2)consisting of a short strip of leather til Patented Aug. 16, 1955 orother suitable material which is bent back upon itself, and the oppositeends stitched or otherwise secured to the end of the particular strap towhich it is connected. The free end or nose portion of the loop member17, 18 or 19 is tapered as at 20, 21 or 22. An elastic cord 23 isthreaded through the ends 20, 21 and 22 and tied in a knot as at 24while the head gear 11 is on the wearers head.

Riveted or otherwise secured to the front and sides respectively of theside strap 15 of the head gear 11 are three clips, namely a front clip25, and 2 side clips 26 (Figure 2) which are also of loop shape formedby doubling a strip of metal back upon itself, the cage or protectorframe 12 being secured to these clips. The side clips 26 are located onthe side band 15 a slight distance forward of the wearers ears E. Theframe or cage 12 consists of upper and lower frame members 28 and 29,each. of approximately U-shaped form connected to one another byapproximately vertical connecting or retaining portions 30 at therearward ends thereof. The upper and lower members 28 and 29 haveparallel approximately horizontal front members 31 and 32 interconnectedby vertical frame members or struts 33, three being shown for purposesof convenience.

In order to'cause the connecting or retaining portions 30 to pressagainst the spectacle temples T, the upper and lower members 28 and 29are preferably bent at slightly less than right angles to one another attheir upper and lowercorners34 and 35 (Figure 3) and form upper andlower side members 36 and 37 respectively interconnected by verticalside frame members or struts 38, in addition to the connecting portions30 at their rearward ends. The frame members 33 and 38 are connected asby welding-to the frame members 28 and 29. The side portions 36 of theupper frame member 28 are substantially horizontal as at 39 for themajor portion of their length but are inclined downwardly as at 40 neartheir rearward ends adjacent their junction with the connecting portions30. The lower side members 37, on the other hand, have upwardly andrearwardly inclined portions 41 and 42 located on opposite sides of eachvertical member 38. Near their rearward ends, however, the upwardlyinclined portions 42 are bent abruptly downward to provide downwardlyinclined portions 43, and these in turn are connected by approximatelyhorizontal portions 44 which are inclined slightly upward and rearwardtoward their junction with the connecting portions 30.

Secured as by welding to the front portion 31 of the upper frame member28 are the lower opposite ends of an approximately arch-shaped framemember 45 having arcuate arms 46 bent upward and rearward in an inclineddirection (Figure 1) to a junction with an approximately U-shapedcentral portion 47 which has side portions 48 and a rearward portion orcross bar 49. The cross bar 49 passes through the opening in theloopshaped front clip 25, whereas the inclined portions 40 of the upperside members 36 pass through the loop-shaped side clips 26.

The chin strap 13 is provided with a loop 50 formed on one end of anon-adjustable strap 51 of webbing, leather or the like, the loop 50being passed around one of the lower frame portions 44 and secured bystitching or riveting. The free end of the strap 51 is provided with asnap fastener 52 (Figures 2 and 4), the cooperating element 53 of whichis secured to a chin pad 54 of leather or other suitable material. Theprovision of two or more of the elements 53 provides a quick adjustmentof length for the chin strap 13. Secured as by stitching to the chin pad54 is the lower end of an adjustable strap 55 also of webbing orleather. The upper end of the strap 55 is secured by riveting orstitching to a perforated tongue strap 56 of leather or other suitablematerial which passes 3 through a buckle 57, the cross bar 58 of which(Figure 5) passes through a loop member 59 of leather or other suitablematerial through which also passes the portion 44 of the lower framemember 29 opposite the portion 44 to which the loop 50 was attached. Theupper ends of the loop member 59, which is formed of a strip of leatheror other suitable material bent back upon itself, are secured to eachother and to the upper end of a protector pad 60 of leather or othersuitable material which protects the face from direct contact with thebuckle 57. The lower end of the pad 60 is left free and protects theface from contact with the rivet or other fastener used in securing thestrap 55 to the tongue strap 56. 1

In order to cushion the contact of the connecting portions 30 with thebows or temples T of the wearers spectacles S, each of the connecting'portions 30 is surrounded by a tubular member 61 of leather, rubber orother suitable cushioning material.

In the adjustment of the invention, the user first adjusts the head gear11 approximately to the size of his head, tying the elastic cord '23 asat 24 when this adjustment has been made. A single adjustment of theelastic cord 23, because of the resilience of the cord, enables the headgear 11 to fit a range of sizes of heads. The user then adjusts the chinstrap 56'to the correct approximate length by inserting the tongue ofthe buckle 57 through the most desirable hole in the tongue strap 56.The snap fastener 52, 53 is used thereafter in putting on and taking offthe spectacle protector 10.

In the use of the spectacle protector 10, while playing games such asbasketball, the cage or frame 12 completely protects the lenses L of thespectacles S from damage from any source, either from opponents or fromthe ball, or from collisions with stationary objects, such as walls orstanchions. The cushions 61 and connecting portions 30 press inwardlyagainst the temples or bows T of the spectacles S adjacent the pointwhere these pass around the ears E of the wearers head What I claim is:

A spectacle protector comprising, a skeleton head gear structure adaptedto snugly fit the head and having a side strap for encircling the headat approximately the place of maximum diameter thereof, and having freeends closely approaching but spaced apart from one another at the rearof said head gear structure, said head gear structure also having asingle top strap adapted to fitting over the top of the head, said topstrap having one end secured to said side strap at the front of saidgear structure and a free end closely approaching but spaced apart fromthe free ends of and from the space between said side straps at the rearof all of said head gear structure, said free ends having aperturestherein, an elongated flexible elastic cord having a loop portionpassing through said apertures and adjustably and slidably engaging andinterconnecting said free strap ends, said cord being adapted to beselectively tied at different locations for providing different sizes ofsaid loop portion whereby to effect different separations of said strapends to fit different head sizes, the resiliency of said cord causingsaid straps to snugly and yieldingly grip a particular size of head, thesole connection of said free ends with one another being through saidresilient cord when used as a tying element, said free ends beingotherwise disposed independent of one another, a protector framestructure having front and side portions secured respectively to thefront and sides of said head gear structure, and a chin strap secured atits opposite ends to said structureand adapted to extend under the chinof the wearer.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,612,750 Stake Dec. 28, 1926 1,706,601 Drager Mar. 26, 1929 2,206,997Austad July 9, 1940 2,254,669 Turner Sept. 2, 1941 2,395,078 Sowle Feb.19, 1946

